A survey of roller train; chopper optimisation in the Burdekin district

Abstract

This survey was designed to assess the service provided for implementing Roller-Train Chopper Optimisation (RTCO) in the Burdekin and the RTCO product itself. The survey was carried out to assess the future potential of RTCO in the Burdekin, to quantify market perceptions and to respond to negative feedback from some Burdekin industry personnel.Soil-in-cane was the only problem identified with the RTCO product, and mill pressure on bin weights was put forward as a limiting factor on adoption. Most respondents would optimise in the future if the soil-in-cane problem were solved. Evidence from the survey suggests that soil-in-cane is related to the high butt-lifter rpm used in RTCO at the time. This issue can be resolved through further research and the payoff is likely to be high.